Worse signature move, Hextall / JR:

[molon labe]

As far as final F-U's go- which one stung/stings more? Got a different suggestion?

I want to go with JJ as we're still playing with handicapped cap space as a result of that- but the more you think of Granlund- the worse it gets. At least JJ played with a younger team. We are literally now in the twilight years of Sid Geno. I'll be shocked if either gets 100 points again. Now is the time where every ounce of your cap matters, so to throw 5 mil at a guy like that is inexcusable. Anyway, have fun.

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[Beau Knows]

1. JJ
2. Granlund
3. Reaves: terrible, but at least there was some logic too it. Where you understood why the move was made, even if it was clearly a bad one. The other two moves made no sense at all.

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

I’m going with Reaves ++++ because that was the beginning of this organization making bad, non-sensical decisions. This organization struck gold with every decision they made for two years and then pissed it all away because Tom Wilson was in GMJR’s head. Then after that it was just dumb decision after dumb decision.

 

[Josey Wales]

Why ??? why is this an Issue?

 

[ColePens]

JR took b2b cups and ruined it with an attempt to "protect" stars. It will go down as one of the dumbest and more irresponsible moves of all time. I will NEVER understand it.

And the Brassard trade was AWFUL only because Brassard did jack shit. I won't blame anyone but Brassard. What a f***ing waste of talent.

 

[Liberty Biberty]

I know at the time they were coming off 2 cups and were in full win now mode, but trading K-Andre Miller and Filip Gustavsson for Brassard looks pretty bad now.

JJ and Reaves were both bad, and Sullivans usage made them even worse. Granlund is just a WTF move after finally making some cap space and then used it on him.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

JR took b2b cups and ruined it with an attempt to "protect" stars. It will go down as one of the dumbest and more irresponsible moves of all time. I will NEVER understand it.

And the Brassard trade was AWFUL only because Brassard did jack shit. I won't blame anyone but Brassard. What a f***ing waste of talent.

Ya the Reaves trade made no sense, we had won B2B Cups, actually had a 1st round pick that year and gave them a good young prospect in Sundqvist on top of that.
If he really wanted to fix that issue and get an enforcer he could have and should have waited for UFA

JJ, whatever, just a stupid move to probably make Sid happy

Granlund I'm still pissed and will be up until he is gone. It's a stupid trade that didn't and still doesn't make sense. We could have done so much better with that cap money for the next 2 seasons. This one will hurt us if the next GM can't move him

 

[Goalie_Bob]

I will never understand the outrage over the Reeves deal.

The Brassard deal was a way bigger move. Kapanen in itself is a way worse move.

 

[Epic Neal Time]

Granlund 100%.

Worst contract, worst timing (tail end of the era when depth scoring is MUCH more critical). Better player overall in a vaccuum.

At least with JJ you can at least see there was a poor attempt to add a physical presence and size. With Granlund, I can't even tell you what they thought they were addressing. A poor 5v5 scoring, small, non-physical, pass-first winger with bad defensive impacts. The player profile, regardless of contract, just made absolutely no sense for that roster.

Reaves for a 20 spot drop in the draft and Sundqvist.... It's whatever. Far from the worst move I've seen. It's only bad because it signaled JR moving away from the roster build that won the cups. Even in hindsight, Kostin is a fringe bottom 6 guy and Lauzon never made the cut. Sundqvist is a solid 4C but better players have come and gone. If we're adding a second JR trade, Brassard was MUCH more damaging long-term. Just an unmitigated disaster that killed us for multiple years.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I will never understand the outrage over the Reeves deal.

The Brassard deal was a way bigger move. Kapanen in itself is a way worse move.

The timing more than anything.

Brassard was done before the trade deadline, going for that 3rd Cup in a row. We overpaid, it didn't work out for him here but he was one of the best players available at the time. He just f***ing sucked for us.

Reaves was a useless trade since it was done at the draft and he had all summer to fix that issue if he really thought it would have made a difference

 

[Beau Knows]

I will never understand the outrage over the Reeves deal.

The Brassard deal was a way bigger move. Kapanen in itself is a way worse move.

I mean Brassard was a good player, the deal made sense at the time. He just didn't play well at all for us, I don't know if JR could have possibly foreseen that, I still don't know what happened to him.

 

[Pens x]

At least JR made some nice trades earlier in his tenure whereas Hextall started poorly and ended poorly.

I’ll never understand how anyone thought it was a good idea to hire either, but especially Hextall.

 

[gdsmack267]

This thread makes me sad

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

As far as final F-U's go- which one stung/stings more? Got a different suggestion?

Easily preventable F-U's?
Granlund! It was all right there that he sucks. We had just recently played against them, and there was nothing impressive about him @ $5M.

What didn't work out?
Brassard, and technically Zucker (if you ignore last year). Brassard was good on paper, had some awesome showings on the Rangers, and seemed like the perfect 3rd line center. I can't blame JR for this one. I can't blame JR for the Zucker deal either as again, it all looked good. A 26 year old that plays fast, and scored 20-30. What's not to like?

What had some of the writing on the wall? JJ
The salary wasn't the issue, nor was taking a chance on him. It was the term. I don't what possessed JR to sign him for a 5 year term. If it was a 2 year deal for $4Mper, we wouldn't be talking about this.

=====
If I had to choose one bad deal that stung the most? It would have to be JJ. The fact that Sully loved him as well, so JR couldn't just swing him over in a "let's fix it" trade.

Granlund just feels worse as it's a recent wound, that hasn't be treated yet.
=====

*edit*
However, I'm not using this to reflect on JR vs Hextall. That's an easy one. JR was good (overall), and Hexstall sucked stalls!

 

[Andy99]

I’ll add my voice to those saying that at least JJ and Reaves had rationales behind them, no matter how misguided or how much the player wasn’t worth it…

Granlund is just like WTF…

 

[Pens1566]

Of the 3, I went with Reaves because it essentially started the decline. I'd put Brassard ahead of that one though.

 

[SEALBound]

JJ signing and Granlund are 1A and 1B. I would say JJ was worse at the moment.

Reaves isn't even 3rd so...not sure why that's even on the list.

 

[LOGiK]

JJ FA signing was fine. TERM AND VALUE was out of this world stupidity.

Granlund out of the gate was idiotic.

As in Granlund had his contract signed elsewhere and it was brought here.
JJ was in-house stupidity.

 

[LOGiK]

Of the 3, I went with Reaves because it essentially started the decline. I'd put Brassard ahead of that one though.

He was also different.
In a way....
He was up until that point a highly sought after player, an impact player... boy did his career shrivel up and die the moment of coming to pittsburgh.

I think Brassard hurt the worst, but the player failed to perform at any level of the expense to get him.
He did not fit on this team from the first minute. Entire time as a penguin was just awkward and forced ugliness.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Voted for Jack Johnson because I do not like the Jack Johnson.

 

[Turin]

Johnson, Granlund, Brassard

 

[pistolpete11]

JMFJ by a mile.

Granlund was head scratching given what they needed and how Sullivan used him, but a 2nd for a guy on a 50 point pace isn't bad. Also, while he didn't provide a lot, he wasn't actively hurting the team like JMFJ either.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It probably has to be JJ and Granlund. Although there is a damned good case to be made for the Carter extension with Hextall. And in JR's case him not knowing that you can't just do trade takesie-backsies in regards to the whole Hagelin thing was pretty "signature" of him.

 

[Coastal Kev]

It's the same for both......not firing Sullivan.

Can't allow a subordinate sabotage your decisions.

F SULLY

 

[IcedCapp]

It's Granlund and I don't think it's particularly close (though people going off menu for Brassard might be onto something)

Reasoning:

JMFJ and Reaves were bad moves made for ... understandable reasons. (I don't even hate Reaves as a player, he's not a goon, he's a legit NHLer)

The Pens needed defensive help. Johnson has blackmail on every GM in the league. So like, it "makes sense." Johnson is just far far faaaaaaaaaaaar worse than anyone in the NHL is willing or able to admit.

Reaves, again, filled a perceived need. It wasn't a need. But in NHL circles who aren't as intelligence-forward as you'd like, it was a need. And as far as "muscle" goes, Reaves isn't a goon, so he was probably the best combination of: skill, toughness, affordability we could find. That said, the price was still absurd.

With Granlund, the Pens weren't one mediocre 3rd liner away from contention. The season was clearly going to be a loss, but they had something going for them: a shit load of salary was either off or coming off the books this off-season.

prior to Granlund, it was something like 20,000,000, i think. And all they had to do was find a goalie, a defender, and maybe a top-9 forward.

It was the most-healthy the team has been from a cap perspective in years.

Not only did they kill a ton of that flexibility, THEY GAVE UP A SECOND ROUND PICK TO DO IT.

For a player who is not good. He's, at best, a 3rd liner. You can find 1,000,000 granlund's on July 1st. And you'd likely pay him less. And you'd save the pick.

Just an absolutely unforgivable move. It showed a lack of understanding of what your current team is, and a lack of vision for where it could go next season.